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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22791355">Moments</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hello33willoTheWisp845/pseuds/hello33willoTheWisp845'>hello33willoTheWisp845</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Voyager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:41:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,731</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22791355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hello33willoTheWisp845/pseuds/hello33willoTheWisp845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“The truth always comes to light no matter what you do to prevent it.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Quiet footsteps echoed through the half-dark Cargo Bay 2. Only before Seven's alcove they stopped.</p><p>A hand tenderly stroking Seven's cheek and brown gleaming eyes that look at her for a moment, and soft voice that softly calls "Seven."</p><p>"Seven, wake up!" The voice demanded once more, now a little more persistently.</p><p>Seven's ice-blue eyes fluttered open and looked confused at the woman.</p><p>"Who are you?"</p><p>The woman faded and whispered softly. "Seven"</p><p>Sevens's eyes widened, her heart pounding wildly and her breathing was quick as her regeneration cycle ended. Seven climbed out of her alcove with wobbly legs and looked around confusedly in the half-dark Cargo Bay 2. What had awakened her?</p><p>But on closer inspection, she could see nothing or recognize what might have awakened her.</p><p>After she regained her composure, she asked the computer for the reason for discontinuing her regeneration cycle. But the answer of the computer was "unknown"</p><p>In Seven's interior, the uncertainty grew, had she been dreaming, or had anyone really been there?</p><p>Since her regeneration cycle was interrupted very early and she still had to regenerate at least 5 hours, she nervously got back into her alcove and started a new cycle of regeneration.</p><p>As soon as she got into her alcove and her regeneration started again, her features smoothed and she looked completely relaxed again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, as always, Seven took her shift on time and worked hard, during the morning, at her work console in the astrometric lab. She was writing a report on the space sector that Voyager would pass in the next few weeks. Completely engrossed in her work, she did not notice like someone approaching quietly from behind.</p>
<p>Only when slender hands snaked around her slender waist and lay down on her stomach and a gentle kiss was breathed on her neck, she jumped. Startled, she turned around. A soft voice "Seven" was heard.</p>
<p>Confused and irritated, she stared around. But there was nothing. Nothing she could see or call her name. She was completely alone in the astrometric laboratory.</p>
<p>Seven blinked her eyes and nervously turned to her work console and gave several orders to start a sensor search for possible Borg activities. Then she internally started a scan of her own systems to rule out possible diseases or changes in her body and cortical nodes.</p>
<p>While the analyzes were running, Seven tried to concentrate on her actual work, but it didn't really want to succeed. Annoyed, she sighed after a while and decided to leave the astrometric lab for a while and go to the messhall for lunch instead.</p>
<p>On the way, she often looked around to make sure that nothing and nobody was following her. She had a strange feeling. Sometimes for a fleeting moment, she had seen something out of the corner of her eye, but as soon as she turned around, there was nothing inconspicuous there. The more she thought she had seen something and then it was nothing, the more confused and irritated she felt. Her heart had begun to throb faster than usual, and a storm of insecurity raged inside her, and she had to confess to herself, fear.</p>
<p>Just before she reached the doors of the messhall, she straightened her shoulders, put on her borg mask, and arrogantly raised her chin. When she was sure no one would notice what it looked like inside, she stepped inside.</p>
<p>The messhall was very crowded at this time as there were many crewmembers who spent their lunch break here before having to go back to work. Seven went to the counter where Neelix the food was spent and stood patiently in the queue.</p>
<p>While she waited for her to eat, she relaxed a bit. The voices of the various crew members mingled to a pleasant murmur. Not as pleasant as the murmur of Hive consciousness on the Borg, where billions of Borg drones joined together, but at least so that she found it just as pleasurable and relaxed her mindfulness.</p>
<p>Just before it was her turn and Neelix could ask her what she wanted to eat, she was even so relaxed that she realized too late how someone put his hand on her shoulders and whispered in her ear "Seven"</p>
<p>Seven turned in shock, her breathing faster and her face pale. </p>
<p>Horrified, she looked at the Ensign standing behind her in the queue. He looked at her also surprised and asked worried.</p>
<p>"Seven, is everything okay with you?"</p>
<p>Seven nodded her head, trying to get her Borgcoolnes back. Then she turned quickly and left the messhall hurriedly.</p>
<p>Everyone looked after her in surprise.</p>
<p>Out in the corridor she bumped into someone because she was not really paying attention to where she was going, and a loud "Ouch" sounded.</p>
<p>As Seven looked closely, the captain lay on the ground. Quickly she knelt down to her.</p>
<p>"Captain, I'm sorry. I did not ... Captain, are you alright?" She asked worriedly, quickly scanning her eyes for the body of the elderly woman after injuries.</p>
<p>Kathryn scrambled off the floor and looked at Seven in surprise.</p>
<p>"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Only the collision and the fact that my ego is hurt because I landed so inelegantly on my butt. Otherwise I'm fine. But what about you? What did you run away from so fast?" Kathryn asked worriedly.</p>
<p>"How about a game of velocity tonight? We have not played together for a while."</p>
<p>"Acceptable." Seven answered and Kathryn looked at her worriedly.</p>
<p>It had been a while since Seven had fallen back into old Borg behaviors. She knew from experience that Seven only did it when she was busy or wrong.</p>
<p>"Seven, is everything okay with you?" Kathryn asked worriedly and put her hand on Seven's shoulder. Seven flinched noticeably and backed away from Kathryn.</p>
<p>"I have to keep working." she said curtly, then hurried to the turbolift.</p>
<p>Kathryn looked at her in surprise and concern. However, she also knew there was no point in forcing Seven to come out with the language she got. It was better to trust that she would come herself and entrust herself to Kathryn. That had worked many times better than asking for an answer from her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as Seven had entered the holodeck, she quickly noticed that it was still empty and that she was the first. So she decided to start warming up to bridge the time until the captain would arrive.</p>
<p>First she stretched  her arms and tried to loosen her tense shoulders. After she was sure that she had stretched and loosened her arms and shoulders enough, she started to stretch her legs and then loosen her leg muscles. As she went through her stretching exercises step by step, completely immersed in the process, she did not notice how the doors of the holodeck opened and closed again shortly afterwards.</p>
<p>It was only when a hand was placed on her shoulder that Seven started up, startled.</p>
<p>"Excuse me seven, I didn't mean to scare you. I assumed you noticed that I had arrived.” Kathryn quickly apologized to the young woman who looked as if she had seen a ghost.</p>
<p>"Is everything okay with you?" Kathryn asked worriedly.</p>
<p>"Yes captain, I'm fine. I was only deep in my stretching exercises.” Seven admitted quietly.</p>
<p>Kathryn looked at her for a moment, but then decided not to ask any more.</p>
<p>"Okay, shall we start then?" She asked and smiled gently at Seven.</p>
<p>"Acceptable." said Seven, putting on a forced smile.</p>
<p>She was aware that the captain was still looking at her worriedly and probably did not believe that she was fine. Which wasn't true either. To be honest with herself, the apparitions or whatever, it was she had did past few days, very much went to her substance. She was nervous and frightened and didn't like how much it affected her daily routine and how she turned her emotional world upside down.</p>
<p>The Velocity game was accordingly bad for Seven. Otherwise she only lost with a small backlog, so her backlog today was almost embarrassing. In the entire game she was able to score just two points, while the captain won the full three rounds with very high scores.</p>
<p>After the game was finally over, Seven wanted to leave the holodeck as soon as possible, but the captain held her arm and looked her deeply in the eye.</p>
<p>"Seven, what's wrong with you? Today's game was a disaster. Wouldn't you like to tell me what employed you?” Asked Kathryn gently.</p>
<p>Seven immediately stiffened and looked away from the captain with an iron look.</p>
<p>"No, everything is fine Captain. Can I go?"</p>
<p>Kathryn nodded her head and let go of Seven Arm. Seven hurriedly left the holodeck and Kathryn watched her with concern and sighed in frustration.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>**********************************</p>
</div>After Seven left the holodeck, she didn't know where to go. She could neither go to Cargo Bay2 nor astrometry, she had seen the phenomenon in both places. Frustrated, Seven slowed her pace and turned from the main aisle to a side aisle. There she looked for a small niche where she settled. With shaky hands, she pulled her knees up to her body and rested her head on it while her arms held her legs.<p>She silently thought about what to do. The sensor data had not recorded any Borg activity, nor had their internal scan confirmed that their body or cortical nodules were malfunctioning. Everything was okay with her. Should she still trust the doctor? Maybe she didn't have physical complaints but psychological problems? But the doctor wasn't a therapist, so he couldn't help her if that was the problem. In the Borg collective, drones with serious physical or technological malfunctions were retired. They were disassembled and deactivated. Seven was certain that such a fate would not happen to her on Voyager. But how could they help her then? Was it even possible to help her?<br/>Should she go to the captain and tell her about the apparitions? The captain would try to help her. But the captain had so many other worries, Seven couldn't possibly put more worries on her. No, asking the captain for help, so not an option.</p>
<p>Sitting around here longer was not an option for Seven either. So she got up and went to the next turbolift. Heavy hearts and very nervous, she approached the infirmary after the turbolift brought her to the appropriate deck.</p>
<p>When Seven entered the infirmary, everything was quiet and the lights were dimmed to a minimum. The doctor was deactivated. Seven sighed in relief and hiked to an organic bed in the infirmary.</p>
<p>There she lay down exhausted on the organic bed and closed her eyes. She didn't want to stay long, just linger a moment and think about her next steps. Not more.<br/>She fell asleep a few seconds later, feeling tired.</p>
<p>Loud, pain-distorted screams came to Seven's ears when she was rudely roused from her sleep a short time later. Completely disoriented, she sat up and looked at the scene in the bio bed next to her.</p>
<p>There lay the woman who had been appearing to her in various places on Voyager for days. Seven blinked, confused and frightened, at the woman, who was lying on the bio bed, her face contorted with pain, writhing and screaming in pain as the doctor did everything possible to help her.</p>
<p>Seven quickly got up from her bio bed and hurriedly went to the bio bed and looked at the woman. The woman took her hand and held it. </p>
<p>"Seven ... please ..."</p>
<p>But before the woman could continue to speak, she faded and left an empty, unused organic bed. Seven let out a scream of terror, quickly turned and left the infirmary.</p>
<p>Without paying attention to where she was going, she kept going until she exhausted in a little niche somewhere on Voyager and collapsed and broke down.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>**********************************</p>
</div>A few hours later, after she had regained her composure, that she came out of hiding and went to the engine room, hoping that she would not have to experience any appearance there.<p>It was pretty quiet in the engine room. Since it was the gamma layer, there was little going on at that time. Seven found a free work console and sat in front of it and started to work. First she made a list of the places where she had visited the apparition. There was Cargo Bay 2, astrometry, the measuring hall and the infirmary. So all places where she wouldn't be anytime soon. She swore to herself.</p>
<p>From her work station, she accessed her data, which was stored in astrometry, and transferred it to herself in the machine room and began her work. She was glad that so far she had no appearance in the machine room, she delved into her work.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>**********************************</p>
</div>"Seven, what are you doing here?" Asked B'Elanna after seeing Seven working at the workstation for hours. According to the gamma shift, Seven had appeared in the middle of the night and had not left the work station since then. Reason enough for B'Elanna to go over to her and ask.<p>Startled, Seven looked up from the workstation and looked at B'Elanna in confusion.</p>
<p>"Seven, are you all right?" B'Elanna asked after worried, since she hadn't seen Seven so bad for a long time.</p>
<p>Seven got up stiffly from the work console and looked around the room in confusion as she walked a few steps away from B'Elanna and turned towards the exit.</p>
<p>"I'm fine," she murmured softly and hurriedly left the engine room. B'Elanna watched her go and frowned. * Shit, what was wrong with Seven?*</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Come in." Kathryn called when she heard the door buzzer and sat up at her desk in her standby room.</p><p>B'Elanna came in hurriedly and looked worried.</p><p>"What is wrong?" Kathryn asked her.</p><p>"Captain I'm worried about Seven. For at least 4 days and nights she has been hanging around in the machine room and occupying a work console. As soon as I go to her and ask her what she's doing, why she's doing it in my engine room and whether she's okay, she always runs away and just mumbles that she's okay. But a few hours later, when my duty is over, she comes back and occupies another free work station. And the scary thing about it is she looks more and more devastated every time. I mean, her hair is messy, her organic suit is dirty, and her hands are shaking as she enters data on the work console. I have watched her for a long time, she is a wreck, agile and frightened. I am really worried. Please do something.” said B´Elanna worried.</p><p>Kathryn looked worriedly at B'Elanna. She hadn't seen Seven since playing in the holodeck. That evening, too, she had the feeling that something was wrong with Seven, but Seven had not been willing to tell her what was going on at that time either.</p><p>"Thank you B'Elanna. I will take care of it immediately. Where's Seven now?"</p><p>"In the machine room. I thought I'd rather leave her where I can keep an eye on her.” replied B'Elanna.</p><p>"Fine, then let's check on her."</p><p>Both women made their way to the engine room, as soon as they got there, Kathryn looked around for Seven, but she couldn't see them at any of the workstations.</p><p>"Where is she?" She asked B'Elanna uneasily. B´Elanna shrugged her shoulders and called one of her employees to her.</p><p>"Where's Seven?" She asked the ensign. He looked at B'Elanna in astonishment and also shrugged his shoulders. "She was just here a moment ago." he replied, and went back to work.</p><p>Kathryn tapped her communicator on "Captain an Seven, Seven please get in touch!" But nothing happened.</p><p>"Computer where is Seven of Nine located?" So she called the computer.</p><p>"Deck 13, section 9, airlock 23" Kathryn's eyes widened. Damn what did Seven on that damn airlock?</p><p>"Captain to Tuvok, locate Seven and beam them into my standby room." Kathryn shouted into her communicator and Tuvok did what the captain asked without thinking about it. He knew from experience that his captain always had good reasons for their orders.</p><p>Kathryn ran, with B'Elanna behind her, to the next turbolift and was taken to deck 1. Both women quickly left the turbolift and stormed into the ready room.</p><p>Chakotay, who had taken over the bridge, watched them in astonishment and also hurriedly left his chair and went to the ready room, as did Tuvok, who had beamed Seven into the ready room in the meantime.</p><p>As soon as Kathryn came into her standby room, closely followed by the others, she saw Seven crouching on the floor, holding her head in her hands and sobbing. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Kathryn's heart contracted painfully when she saw Seven suffering.</p><p>"Please leave us alone." Kathryn quietly asked the others, who then left the ready room.</p><p>Kathryn came to Seven and crouched down on her. Carefully, she put her hand on Seven's shoulder. But Seven winced and crept into a corner, startled. Kathryn wanted to follow her, but Seven held up her hands defensively. "No, not." She called in panic and Kathryn stayed where she was.</p><p>"Seven, it's me. Please tell me what's going on.” Kathryn asked softly, but Seven only looked at her with empty eyes. Kathryn could see exactly what B'Elanna meant earlier when she told her that Seven was in bad shape. Her hair was loosened from her top buns, her organic suit was badly fitting, as if Seven had lost weight, and her tearful face had sunken cheeks and dark circles under her eyes.</p><p>"Seven?" Kathryn asked when she didn't answer. Kathryn slowly approached the young woman and sat next to her.</p><p>"What did you want at the airlock?" She asked quietly, hoping to get an answer.</p><p>For a long time both women sat quietly on the floor and Kathryn looked at Seven worried all the time. But Seven had buried her head in her hands, which she had put on her drawn knees.</p><p>"Okay, I think we should take you to the infirmary so the doctor can see how he can help you." Kathryn decided after sitting on the floor for almost an hour.</p><p>Seven raised her head and looked at Kathryn, eyes wide with panic and fear.</p><p>"No." she cried in horror and rose in a hurry. "I am fine. I don't need the doctor.” She replied and wanted to escape from the ready room. But Kathryn held Seven's arm and wanted to stop her. However, since Seven was a bit taller than her and also stronger, she was able to free herself and push Kathryn aside.</p><p>Kathryn then quickly tapped her communicator.</p><p>"Tuvok, I need a security team in my ready room immediately." She called and tried to hold Seven again, whereupon Seven pushed her roughly to the ground.</p><p>But Tuvok and his security team caught her, whereupon Seven began to fight back by waving her arms wildly and throwing herself against the security crew. Tuvok held a hypospray on her neck at a convenient moment, and Seven immediately sagged in the arms, the security team.</p><p>"Let's take her to the infirmary." Kathryn ordered.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***********************</p>
</div><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>While Seven lay unconscious on the organic bed, the doctor scanned her.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Report!" Kathryn asked immediately when she arrived at the infirmary a short time later.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Your vital signs are devastating. Seven should urgently regenerate so that their nano-probes receive the required energy and thus their vital signs are stabilized again. Otherwise I can not see anything that should be wrong with her.” explained the doctor.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Okay, please wake her up." Kathryn ordered the doctor.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>As soon as Seven woke up and realized where she was, she looked around in panic and jumped off the organic bed with the last energy reserves she had left and wanted to escape from the infirmary. But as a precaution, the doctor had built a force field around the bio bed so that Seven didn't get very far.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>Completely panicked, as she just saw the phenomenon covered in blood on the organic bed in front of her and called the phenomenon to her and reached out for Seven, Seven tried desperately to escape through the force field, the horror. After the fourth collision with the force field, she sank to the ground weakly and began to cry uncontrollably and curled up on the ground to form an embryo.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>The doctor and Kathryn looked at her worriedly. The doctor quickly got a hypospray to soothe Seven. As soon as the hypospray took effect, he gently lifted her back onto the bio bed and did another scan. Then he frowned at Kathryn.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"I can't see anything that would lead to Seven's behavior." he said, pinning Seven on the bio bed and moving the brain monitor to Seven's head to take an even closer scan.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"She was completely panicked, as if she was seeing something that was hidden from both of us. Do you remember the species that had exposed us to their medical experiments for weeks? Maybe Seven saw something similar?” Kathryn thought.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>She quickly tapped her communicator.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Tuvok, please do a ship wide scan for intruders." Kathryn ordered, who immediately started the scan.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>While the brain scan was running and the Doctor Seven's data was going through his work console, Kathryn stood worried on the organic bed and looked at Seven. She carefully stroked the lock of hair Sevens had fallen in the face, behind her ear.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Captain, the ship-wide scan for intruders showed no results." Tuvok answered after a few minutes.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Thanks Tuvok." said Kathryn, sighing heavily.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Doctor?" She turned to the MHS.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"The brain scan also shows no interference. Except for the bad vital signs and the need to charge their nanoprobes, I couldn't find anything that could have caused Seven's behavior. I am sorry, except to keep her still and to point out again that she should definitely regenerate, there is nothing I can do for her.” the doctor explained dejectedly.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Thank you doctor. Please wake her up, I want to talk to her and find out what's going on. Please be ready when she panics again, calm her down again so that we can regenerate her in her alcove. Maybe, she'll be better after that.” Kathryn asked the doctor and he nodded to her.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>After Doctor Seven woke up, her eyes flared in fear and she looked around in panic. Her breath went faster and faster and she started hyperventilating. Kathryn quickly put her two hands on Seven's face, held it tight and looked deep into her eyes. Seven fidgeted and wanted to free herself, but since her arms, stomach and legs were fixed on the bio bed, she couldn't do much.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Shhht ... Seven, stay calm. It's me. Please ... shhht ... nothing can happen to you here. Please trust me. Breathe in and out calmly ... in and out.” Kathryn spoke softly to Seven, who was still hyperventilating.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>It was only after several minutes that Seven calmed down a bit and looked Kathryn in the eye.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Yes, exactly, shht ..., please tell me what troubles you, I would like to help you." Kathryn asked quietly and comfortingly after Seven's breathing had returned to normal and she had calmed down.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>Kathryn loosened her grip on Seven's face and gently stroked Seven's cheek.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Please tell me what's tormenting you." she repeated her request again.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>Seven blinked her eyes as their tears rolled out of them and ran down her cheeks.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"I see a woman, but she's not real." Seven whispered softly in a broken tremulous voice and started to sob.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>Kathryn looked at Seven in astonishment. "Shht ... everything will be fine. I promise you. Doctor, please loosen the fixings and order a “place to place” transport to my quarters.“ Kathryn asked the doctor, who looked at her in surprise.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Captain, Seven should regenerate urgently." he objected, but Kathryn shook her head.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"No, now it's more important to find out what tortures Seven, after that she can still regenerate." replied Kathryn, looking at the doctor seriously. This gave up and nodded to her. A short time later, Seven was released from her fixations and both women were beamed into the Captain's quarters.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>While Kathryn led Seven into her bedroom and indicated that she should lie down in bed, she informed Chakotay that she could no longer continue her job today because she wanted to take care of Seven.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>After she had done that, sat down with Seven, who was uncertain and a little uncomfortable in bed under the covers. Her face was pale and her dark circles under the eyes stood out clearly. Her eyes wandered restlessly through bedrooms.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Can you tell me what this woman looks like, who you see but who is not real?" She asked softly, Seven winced a little when Kathryn spoke to her.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>Seven turned her face to Kathryn and blinked at her. Then she opened her mouth to close it shortly thereafter. She didn't dare tell her captain about the woman for fear that the captain would think she was crazy.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Seven do you trust me?" Kathryn asked softly and Seven nodded her head without thinking about it.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Well, then please tell me. Don't be afraid, okay? We will deal with what torments you, I am there for you, just as I was always there for you when you were not feeling well.” Kathryn explained.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>Seven nibbled her lower lip uneasily, unsure whether to confide in the captain or to remain silent. It was true that the captain was always there for her and helped her to overcome a crisis many times. How back then when a broken vinculum caused all the different personalities in her to break out.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"She has long curly brown hair, brown eyes, my size and roughly my figure. She is older than me.” Seven let out quietly.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>Kathryn thought about it for a moment, then it fell like scales from her eyes and she rubbed stunned over the bridge of her nose. "Shit" she thought in her head and she closed her eyes, desperate as Seven looked at her closely.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p><p>"Captain?" She asked anxiously.</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kathryn quickly got up and went into her walk-in closet and rummaged around in a box. After finding what she was looking for, she came back into the bedroom and held a picture in her hand.</p>
<p>"Is it this woman you saw?" She asked Seven as she sat back in bed with her and showed her the picture.</p>
<p>Seven look the picture and held her breath, blinking at the picture in confusion and irritation, where she found herself with the woman in question. The woman stood behind Seven and had her arms around Seven's neck, which Seven seemed to be sitting. Both women smiled happily at the camera.</p>
<p>"Yes." muttered Seven, still looking at the picture.</p>
<p>"Who is she and why can't I remember this picture?" Asked Seven, looking up from the picture and looking at Kathryn.</p>
<p>Kathryn sighed deeply, put her hand on her forehead and looked at Seven in agony.</p>
<p>“This is Kaidalana, or Kai for short. She was your friend.” Kathryn replied in a rough, sad, low voice. Seven looked stunned and distraught at Kathryn. But before she could ask any more, Kathryn raised her hand and motioned for Seven to wait.</p>
<p>"I need a drink, can I bring you something?" She asked, getting up from the bed in a hurry, but Seven shook her head as she continued to look at the picture.</p>
<p>Kathryn quickly went into her living area and ordered a Scottish whiskey, which she swallowed with a train before she replicated another and went back to Seven's bedroom.</p>
<p>"What happened to her? Where is she now? Why does it appear to me? What ...” before Seven could go on, Kathryn interrupted her.</p>
<p>"Slowly, I'll answer all of your questions, but one by one, okay?" Kathryn asked gently.</p>
<p>Seven nodded her head.</p>
<p>"Should I start at the beginning or answer your question?" Kathryn asked, as she wasn't sure how best to go about it.</p>
<p>"At the beginning, please."</p>
<p>Kathryn took Seven's hand in her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as she went back in her memories.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***************************</p>
</div>Kathryn thought back to the time when Kai came to Voyager. At that time she had been secretly in love with Seven for some time and Seven seemed to be slowly approaching her at the time. But then Kai came and everything suddenly changed.<p>Seven and Kai hopefully fell deeply in love with each other and Seven made incredible leaps in their development as a human being. She quickly gave up her Borg behavior and became the person Kathryn had always hoped she would become someday.</p>
<p>Kai made friends very quickly and charmed the crew with her friendly, open, happy, motherly way. Kai was everything Kathryn couldn't be for her crew, since she was the captain and she didn't have the freedom that Kai had.</p>
<p>Through Kai, the crew finally got to know the Seven that Kathryn had always seen in Seven. Even B'Elanna, who had always been in a twist with Seven, gradually became her best friend.</p>
<p>Kathryn was more than happy that Seven had found a friend in Kai who loved her unconditionally and made the young ExBorg happy.</p>
<p>Kathryn pushed her own feelings for Seven aside and was genuinely happy for the two who really made a nice couple.</p>
<p>Kai was very different from Kathryn, she was spiritually breathed and radiated an uncanny calm, serenity and a motherly love, no matter where she appeared. The crew loved them, precisely because they found something in Kai that they all missed so painfully - family.</p>
<p>This happiness lasted for seven months, during which the two made their own little empire in the quarters next to Kathryn's quarters. B´Elanna even built an alcove in the quarter so that Seven could regenerate privately and in a protected environment. And Kai started to work in astrometry. From then on, both were inseparable. Until that fateful country vacation nine months ago, in which Kai was killed.</p>
<p>Kai and Seven were climbing and Kai lost their hold about 150 meters above the ground and fell 40 meters deep. Since the two women were connected by safety equipment, Seven Kai was able to catch and hold on. But due to the double load that now acted on the anchoring bolts in the rock, one bolt after the other tore out of the rock wall. Both women threatened to fall. But before this happened, Kai had pulled a pocket knife out of her pocket and cut the rope that connected it to Seven.</p>
<p>Seven watched as Kai sacrificed her life to save Seven's life and fell with a loud cry.</p>
<p>Kai was immediately beamed to the infirmary with serious internal and external injuries. Seven was with her and held her in her arms when Kai died of her serious injuries.</p>
<p>After Kai's death, Seven collapsed. She didn't want to live anymore and refused to regenerate, eat and sleep and retreated more and more into herself. The entire crew, especially her friends, were very worried about her, but as soon as she got too close, she activated her bio-shield. Nobody came up to her in her grief for Kai. Not even Kathryn.</p>
<p>Seven kept switching back and forth between the first and second grief levels in the first few weeks. For one thing, she didn't want to admit that Kai was dead, and for another, she was angry that she was still alive, where she had suffered so much damage and life when she was still a drone.</p>
<p>Tuvok offered his help with meditation and merging of thoughts. But Seven wasn't ready to be helped, she was too caught up in her grief.</p>
<p>The climax, her grief, culminated when she locked herself in the airlock 23 on deck 13, section 9 and wanted to hurl herself into space. From that point on, it was enough for Kathryn and she took matters into her hands. Seven was able to be beamed out of the airlock in good time and was placed under medical supervision in the infirmary. There she was force-fed, partially sedated with sedatives and forced to regenerate.</p>
<p>Two weeks later, when she was physically better, Kathryn tried to speak to her. But the only thing Seven asked her to do was to die, Kathryn simply couldn't allow her. Instead, Seven then asked that all memories of Kai be taken away by deleting the last few months in her cortical phalanx.</p>
<p>Kathyrn found this idea terrible and also reprehensible. She remembered too well the crisis the doctor had to go through a while ago, when he was faced with an ethnic decision and had to choose to rescue Harry Kim or another crew member. Later he could not cope with his decision and his memory files had to be deleted. But the doctor kept finding it out and they started over. Only when they got through the crisis with the doctor could he forgive himself and process what he had experienced.</p>
<p>And that's exactly what Kathryn wanted for Seven. She didn't want Seven to hidden like this before the mourning work, but wanted to get through it together with her and her friends and thus alleviate her grief pain.</p>
<p>But Seven suffered so much and struggled with her grief that Kathryn agreed to after a few weeks. But instead of completely deleting the memory, the memories were saved in a file that was encrypted several times in Seven's cortical phalanx somewhere where Seven could never deliberately access it.</p>
<p>Seven's and Kai's quarters were sealed and all 147 crew members, even Naomi, never again promised to say a word about Kai and to speak about their presence on Voyager.</p>
<p>After the memories of Kai, Seven no longer tortured and the past months had been banished from her memory, Seven was again like before Kai came on board the Voyager. She was distant from the crew again, lived again in Cargo Bay 2 and, as always, works highly concentrated without ever taking any break or free time. Everything was fine for her.</p>
<p>Only the crew and Kathryn secretly mourned for Kai and the time in which she had enriched their lives in many different ways.</p>
<p>But the crew members also mourned Seven, just as she was when Kai was still there. B´Elanna especially missed being friends with Seven and spending time with her.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***************************</p>
</div>While Kathryn had briefly summarized the events for Seven, Seven listened intently and, after hearing everything, looked at Kathryn very thoughtfully.<p>"But why is she haunted and tormenting me?" Seven asked after a while.</p>
<p>Kathryn looked at Seven thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"I don't think Kai is chasing you as a ghost to torture you. I think rather that your memories of her are slowly coming back and the appearances that you have experienced were more like memory impressions of events that you have experienced with her." Kathryn replied factually and logically.</p>
<p>"I also think you finally have to face your grief to process it." Kathryn said after a moment's thought about what to do next.</p>
<p>"But how can I mourn someone I don't remember and who means nothing to me?" Asked Seven quietly.</p>
<p>"We'll find out together. But for now you should sleep a little and tomorrow morning, I will accompany you to Cargo Bay 2 and put you in your alcove for regeneration." Kathryn asked softly and Seven nodded her head and continued to slide under the covers. But before she closed her eyes and Kathryn had already moved out of bed, Seven reached out for Kathryn's hand.</p>
<p>"Please don't leave me alone." she murmured softly, and it broke Kathryn's heart to see Seven so scared and in need.</p>
<p>"I just go to the bathroom to change for the night. I'll be right back with you. I promise.” Kathryn said and Seven smiled gratefully before she closed her eyes and fell asleep shortly afterwards completely exhausted.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, after she had dressed for her service, Kathryn woke Seven, who was still in bed and had not yet moved. Not even when her wake-up alarm woke her up. Seven must have been completely tired and exhausted. So it was time for her to regenerate quickly, as the doctor had recommended.</p>
<p>"Seven?" Kathryn asked and Seven sleepily moved in bed, turned on her back and looked at Kathryn still drowsy.</p>
<p>"Hmm ..." she murmured softly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.</p>
<p>“Time to get up and for your regeneration. Come on." Kathryn asked her and gave her her hand. Seven took it and let Kathryn help her out of bed. Seven stood shakily in front of the bed with shaky legs, but Kathryn immediately pushed her into the bathroom.</p>
<p>"Let's wash your face, comb your hair properly and replicate a new organic suit for you." Kathryn said and Seven nodded tiredly.</p>
<p>While Kathryn pulled a washcloth out of the closet and moistened it, Seven had stripped off her dirty organic suit and was now completely naked in Kathryn's bathroom. When Kathryn turned to her, she looked at Seven in surprise, since she hadn't even expected it.</p>
<p>"Perhaps you should rather take a sound shower, which is also much faster and more pleasant than the washcloth." mused Kathryn and looked away from Seven embarrassed.</p>
<p>Sevens had really lost weight in the past few days and had neglected her personal hygiene, so a shower was the most sensible. So she gently pushed Seven to the sound shower and activated it, while she quickly left the bathroom to replicate breakfast for Seven and herself.</p>
<p>A short time later, Seven came out of the bedroom into the living area, wearing only a towel. Only then did Kathryn remember that she had forgotten to recycle Seven's organic suit and replicate a new fresh one.</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll quickly replicate a new organic suit for you." Kathryn explained, but Seven waved it off.</p>
<p>"No, not necessary. I can do it alone. Thank you.” Seven said confidently and went over to the replicator and hurriedly entered a code, whereupon a new organic suit appeared.</p>
<p>"Well, change your clothes quickly and then we'll have breakfast. You absolutely have to eat something.” Asked Kathryn and Seven quickly went back to the bedroom, where she changed.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>*****************************</p>
</div>After the two had finished breakfast, with Seven not really eating much and Kathryn having a coffee while quickly going through her department reports, the two got ready to go to Cargo Bay 2.<p>But as soon as Seven was outside of Kathryn's quarters, she was unsure whether she really wanted to go to Cargo Bay 2. It didn't feel good for her, to be honest with herself, Seven was actually afraid to go to the dark Cargo Bay 2. Now she knew that the phenomenon was just memories of Kai, but it didn't alleviate her fear a bit. So she slowed her steps and then stopped completely while Kathryn had almost reached the turbolift.</p>
<p>After Kathryn arrived at the turbolift, she turned to Seven. Since she wasn't standing next to her, she looked around the hall in confusion. Only then did she notice that Seven was actually still in front of her quarters. She hurriedly went back to her and looked at her worriedly.</p>
<p>"Seven?" She asked worriedly.</p>
<p>"I ... I ... want ..." Seven shook her head "... I ... can't go to Cargo Bay 2."</p>
<p>"Hm ... but you have to regenerate. This is the only way you can feel better physically. You know that, don't you?” Kathryn asked reasonably.</p>
<p>Seven nodded her head, but she really didn't look like she could return to Cargo Bay 2. Kathryn rubbed the back of her hand over her forehead and thought for a moment.</p>
<p>“In your and Kai's former quarters there is still the alcove that B'Elanna installed at the time. Would it be okay for you to regenerate there? If you want, I can stay with you and work from the quarters.” Kathryn offered kindly, in the hope that Seven would accept this solution.</p>
<p>Seven thought about it for a moment before nodding her head. Kathryn sighed in relief.</p>
<p>"Okay, then just let me quickly enter the door code and we can enter. Back then we sealed your quarters and packed all your things in boxes. We didn't put anything away because I didn't want to. I always thought that at some point you would be ready to face it. And now, maybe it's time now?” Kathryn asked as she entered the door code and the doors hissed open for both of them.</p>
<p>Seven looked curiously into the quarters from the hall, unsure whether she really wanted to enter. An interesting scent came from the quarters, tickling her nose.</p>
<p>"Why does it smell like this in the quarters ..., I don't know ..." asked Seven and Kathryn started to grin.</p>
<p>"Oh, you definitely mean Kai's perfume and some other scents that have mixed in the past few months." replied Kathryn, and went into the quarters.</p>
<p>Seven followed her uncertainly.</p>
<p>"What other fragrances do you mean?" She asked irritated.</p>
<p>"Oh Kai smoked every now and then," Kathryn explained carelessly. </p>
<p>But Seven looked at her in horror.</p>
<p>"Kai smoked?"</p>
<p>"Yes, she had a hookah, a hookah with a variety of aromas and tobacco pads. I myself visited you a few times and also smoked. Those were pretty funny and very relaxing evenings.” Kathryn said wistfully, because she had always enjoyed these evenings very much.</p>
<p>Seven looked at her skeptically. "You smoked too? That is harmful to health!” Seven pointed out in astonishment and also a little disgusted.</p>
<p>"Did I smoke too?" She asked upset shortly after when the thought came to her mind.</p>
<p>"Only once, as far as I know. You couldn't take it and Kai and you gave us lecture about how harmful smoking is. But you didn't forbid us.” Kathryn replied and smiled gently at Seven.</p>
<p>"How did Kai get here at Voyager?"</p>
<p>"Your spaceship was endangered and damaged by an ion storm, we saved her. But her spaceship was so damaged that it even exploded in the end. We took Kai in with the plan to drop her off at the next inhabited planet. But that didn't happen because you found each other and fell in love. Come on, we have to go to the bedroom, where B'Elanna has installed and connected your alcove. Let's see what it takes to activate it.” Kathryn offered Seven her hand and Seven took it as they walked through the living room to the bedroom.</p>
<p>The quarters were furnished and divided as much from the rooms as Kathryn's quarters, with the exception of the kitchenette, which was available here, but Kathryn was missing, which also made sense because she was a rivet in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Kathryn saw Seven look at the kitchenette with interest and stop in front of it.</p>
<p>"You cooked for Kai and your friends many times when we met here and had nice evenings with your. Kai had told us many great, exciting stories from her life. Some things were very funny, but also bizarre. Kai flew from planet to planet before coming to us and offered her services as a fortune teller and herbal witch. She had gotten to know a lot of people and species in this way and had also gotten into some funny, crazy or dangerous situations. It was fun to listen to her and to pull on the hookah as well.“ Kathryn said and her eyes became sad when she recalls the many evenings that she had spent here in company.</p>
<p>"I hope you want to start cooking again and invite me back again." said Kathryn after sighing deeply and turning her attention back to Seven.</p>
<p>"Acceptable." replied Seven and looked a little lost. So Kathryn smiled softly at her and then pushed her into the bedroom before the silence between them became uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Both women looked at the deactivated alcove before Seven entered some codes on it and it came to life.</p>
<p>"Well, come on and I'll enter the data for the regeneration. I think a 10-12 hour cycle should do suffice. What do you think?” Asked Kathryn while Seven got into her alcove and stood in the right position.</p>
<p>"Yes, that's enough." Seven replied, closing her eyes as soon as the cycle started. Kathryn checked all the ads again before leaving the quarters and heading for the bridge.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After dutifully ending her duty, Kathryn quickly returned to her quarters to freshen up and change. Then she left her quarters with a poetry book in her hand and went to the quarters next door.</p>
<p>There was no reason for her hurry, as Seven would regenerate for at least 3 hours. Kathryn had had to think about Seven most of the day and repeatedly wondered how it would go on now. Was Seven ready to face her grief for Kai or would she again wish to erase all memories of Kai?</p>
<p>As soon as she was in the bedroom, Kathryn made herself comfortable on the bed and tried to distract her thoughts by reading her poems. A short time later, however, her eyes closed and she fell asleep.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>*************************</p>
</div><p>When Seven's regeneration cycle was completed, her eyes opened and the first thing she saw was the captain's shape, curled up on the bed. She quietly got out of her alcove and approached her captain. Carefully she took the book out of her hand and then looked around for a blanket. Not seeing a blanket, she went to the living area where she had seen a blanket on the couch this morning. After fetching this, she covered her captain with it and looked at her quietly for a long moment.</p>
<p>Seven had been drawn to her captain for a while, the news that the apparitions that had tormented her for days had been memories of her friend Kai had relieved her, on the one hand, but left her in a strange emotional chaos.</p>
<p>She didn't know this quay and she certainly didn't want to get her memories back. The only thing she wanted was to be able to go about her work in peace, to keep her daily routine, and through her work to support the captain as well as possible on the long way to the Alpha Quadrant. She had had no desire to cause further problems for her captain. That was the last thing she wanted.</p>
<p>And yet it had happened again and Seven was very ashamed of it.</p>
<p>She went quietly into the living area and looked at the boxes that were standing on the wall. With a sigh, she took a box from the stack and put it on the coffee table, opening it carefully. Inside were pieces of decoration, which Seven took out one by one and examined them closely.</p>
<p>After taking out a few pieces, she came across a small figure that seemed familiar to her. She was small, plush, had big eyes and looked like a turtle. Seven held her to her nose and smelled it. The smell immediately gave her a pleasant feeling of familiarity. Seven slowly stroked the little turtle across her cheek and a small smile lit up her face.</p>
<p>She looked at all the other decorative items rather skeptically and quickly put them back in the box. Only the plush turtle was in her hand when she went to the next box.</p>
<p>Seven found items of clothing in it. After she got one or two out and checked them for their bigger size, she could clearly see that this was not her thing, but Kai's, that they were cut a little bit further. Seven quickly packed the clothes back and closed the box.</p>
<p>In the next box she found clothes again, but this time they seemed to be hers because they were their size. After rummaging in the box for a while, she suddenly held a brown-reddish-colored knitted sweater in her hand, which she immediately pressed against her and picked up his scent. As with the turtle, a pleasant feeling of familiarity and security developed in Seven. So without thinking much, she put on the sweater and put the plush turtle in the fanny pack that was integrated across the stomach on the sweater.</p>
<p>With a sudden reluctance to go through the boxes, Seven put her hands in her bum bag and quietly went back to the bedroom. There she sat uncertainly on the bed while her hands were holding the little turtle. After a long moment, she decided to crawl next to the captain and lie down. Her eyes closed as if by themselves and her other senses took over. Her nose perceived the pleasant scent emanating from the captain and her ears the steady heartbeat of the captain. The listening, the steady heartbeat sounded very calming and gave Seven a certain security.</p>
<p>Seven started to think about what made her feel safe. To be honest, there wasn't much that made her feel that way. And to be completely honest, there was only one person on board Voyager who could give her that feeling completely. And that very person was lying next to her in bed.</p>
<p>As Seven continued to think, she suddenly noticed the captain turning to her and wrapping her arm around Seven's waist. Seven caught her breath in surprise and carefully opened her eyes. The captain's face was only inches from her face. But her eyes were closed and her breath was calm and relaxed. Some locks of hair had come loose and fell on her face.</p>
<p>Seven's heart started to pound and the desire to kiss her captain suddenly grew immeasurably. But she didn't dare, so she quickly closed her eyes again and tried to push her thoughts and feelings back and calm down again. As soon as she calmed down, she tried to turn around carefully. It was safer to stay away from the captain before doing anything that would endanger her friendship with the captain.</p>
<p>But as soon as she turned around, the captain moved and snuggled up to Seven's back and her right arm wrapped around Seven again and pulled her closer.</p>
<p>Seven caught her breath and sighed inside. What should she do now in this situation? Should she slowly sneak out of bed so as not to wake the captain or just lie still and wait for the captain to wake up or turn around again?</p>
<p>As Seven continued to think about her problem, her heart and breathing slowly calmed down and her thoughts moved away from the current problem and brushed through her cortical nodes.</p>
<p>A sudden wake-up alarm woke her up and she turned irritated.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Two lovingly glowing brown eyes looked at her.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Good morning sweetheart" and two soft lips pressed against her lips and a kiss made her shine. Two strong arms pulled her closer and their bodies intertwined as the kiss deepened and became more passionate.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Minutes later, both struggled, gasping for breath, and both beamed lovingly.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Good morning." Seven whispered back and Kai smiled warmly at her.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Then the memory faded and suddenly Seven stood next to her captain on an earth-like planet in a market place.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Captain, what is that?" Seven asked curiously, holding up the little plush turtle she had just spotted on the market table.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>The captain smiled warmly at her and took the plush turtle out of Seven's hand.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"This is a turtle, this animal is both a land - and a sea animal." she explained gently. Seven, however, shook her head. She knew which animal it was and also knew the specifications.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Thank you captain, I know what a turtle is, but why is this animal in this form?" Asked Seven, tapping the little plush turtle her captain was still holding.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>The captain looked at the plush turtle and then laughed.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Oh, you mean that. It's a cuddly toy. Children love to cuddle and often use cuddly toys." The captain explained and then asked "do you like them?"</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Yes, very much." Seven replied without thinking about it. The captain smiled warmly at her and next turned to the seller.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"We take it, how much does it cost?" She asked and the seller named the price the captain paid immediately. Then she turned back to Seven and beamed at her warmly. Next she gave the plush turtle a little kiss and then handed it to Seven.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Seven looked at her in astonishment as she took the cuddly toy and the captain answered quickly.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"The kiss should bring you luck and the cuddly toy should be a loyal friend to you in good as well as bad times and give you comfort in grief and worries." the captain further explained.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Thank you Captain." Seven replied with a small smile, holding the plush turtle tight against her body.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Seven startled, pulled the little plush turtle out of her bum bag and sat up confused and looked at the little cuddly toy.</p>
<p>Kathryn woke up from the movements and looked up at Seven sleepily and irritated.</p>
<p>"Seven?" She asked in a rough, scratchy sleepy voice.</p>
<p>"You gave me the cuddly toy and you looked at me back then exactly as Kai did." Seven mused without looking directly at Kathryn and said it to herself in thought to think about it more closely.</p>
<p>Kathryn sat up confused and brushed her stray hair from her face.</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" She asked surprised.</p>
<p>Seven looked at her and then showed her the plush turtle.</p>
<p>"You gave it to me and looked at me in the same way that Kai looked at me in the memory I just had. If I compare both memories with each other, I come to the realization that you were in love with me at the time.“ Seven replied logically straight out.</p>
<p>Kathryn looked at her with wide eyes. Thoughts started racing in her head and she feverishly considered what to answer.</p>
<p>But Seven didn't give her the time she needed.</p>
<p>"Were you in love with me back then?" She asked and Kathryn Herz started to pound wildly and a slight headache began to appear.</p>
<p>"Please answer me!" Asked Seven, after Kathryn still hadn't answered her after a few seconds and Kathryn looked at her speechless instead.</p>
<p>Kathryn cleared her throat and took a deep breath. But instead of speaking, she just nodded her head. Seven looked at her in surprise.</p>
<p>"Why didn't you tell me?" Was her next question and she looked at Kathryn with her crystal blue eyes.</p>
<p>Kathryn closed her eyes and put her hand on her forehead and sighed loudly before looking at Seeven again.</p>
<p>"I'm the captain, I don't have the luxury of falling in love with one of my crew members. Besides, I didn't think I should tell you that. After all, I thought you weren't interested in romantic relationships. Remember your first date experience. You said afterwards that you were no longer interested in romantic relationships because there was nobody on Voyager that was suitable for you.” Kathryn answer and Seven thought about it quietly for a while while holding their plush turtle firmly to themselves pressed.</p>
<p>“Back then I didn't know that same-sex love was another option for me. The doctor had not informed me of this. But if I had known then, you would have been my first choice of partner.” Seven admitted quietly and looked over at Kathryn, who had just sat down and looked at Seven in surprise.</p>
<p>Kathryn pushed her hand near Seven and Seven immediately understood the gesture and put her hand in Kathryn's hand.</p>
<p>“Shortly afterwards Kai came and you got on very well from the first moment and fell in love very quickly. I was very happy that you found each other and Kai, gave you all the love that I would have liked to give you, but in my position as a captain and your superior, could not and should not give you. I was impressed and delighted how Kai's love you formed to the people  I had always seen in you, even when you doubted yourself. I ... ”Kathryn stopped and took Seven's hand and led her to her lips and kissed a soft kiss on it.</p>
<p>“When you love a person, you want them to be happy and loved as they deserve. Kai was the person who made you happy and loved you more than anything. And I ..., I was happy for you and stepped aside so that you could grow in your love for each other and shape your life together.” Kathryn paused and her gaze wandered into the distance and stayed there a few seconds before she continued and Seven smiled again.</p>
<p>"I couldn't fool Kai, she guessed very quickly what my feelings were for you then. She wanted to step back, but I explained why that was wrong and she accepted all the reasons why I couldn't live out my love. She promised to love you forever, make you happy and always put you and your life first and protect yourself from anything that could hurt you. Kai and I became pretty good friends, I could talk to her about many things that I couldn't discuss with anyone else. She gave me a lot of good advice and was a good listener. We all had a lot of wonderful moments together.” Kathryn said and suddenly looked very wistful.</p>
<p>Seven frowned.</p>
<p>"You miss her." she concluded, looking at Kathryn thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"Yes, I miss her and not just I, there are many other crew members who miss her. But you know, we not only miss her, but also you.“ Kathryn said softly and looked at Seven gently while she was still holding her hand in her hand.</p>
<p>Seven sighed deeply and closed her eyes.</p>
<p>"Captain, thank you and the crew for allowing me back then to exclude my memory of Kai and everything we had from my consciousness so that I could close the situation. But I'm ashamed because I was selfish and expected you and the other crew members to keep silent everywhere and to keep your own grief secret. How can I ever make it up to you?” Seven asked quietly.</p>
<p>Kathryn looked at her with wide eyes and had to swallow.</p>
<p>"No, please don't be ashamed. We gladly did that for you and your well-being. Back then there was no other way to save you. You were so desperate, so caught up in your grief that it broke my heart to watch it without really being able to help you. The others felt the same. You don't have to make up for anything, except maybe the grief to face Kai and thus become the Seven again, which we have missed all the months. And please call me Kathryn, we are out of service.” Kathryn explained and meanwhile held Seven Hand close to her heart.</p>
<p>"I don't know how to face grief when Kai is so strange to me and I don't feel anything for her either. I don't know what I was like when she was here. I also don't know what it will be like if my memories are brought back. I ..., I ... it scares me.” Seven admitted desperately and looked at Kathryn anxiously.</p>
<p>Kathryn immediately pulled Seven into her arms and hugged her tightly.</p>
<p>"You don't have to be afraid, I'll be with you and help you get through this. Please trust me.” Kathryn said and stroked gently on Seven's back. Seven visibly relaxed in Kathryn's arms and Kathryn was happy about it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were both hugging for a while. Kathryn's thin but strong arms held Seven and Seven had her head on Kathryn's shoulder. Kathryn's hair tickled her a little on the face. But that didn't bother her a bit. Rather, she enjoyed the pleasant smell and softness of the curls that brushed her face.</p>
<p>To her knowledge, Seven had never felt so safe and secure. It was good to lean back and enjoy the comfort of a hug.</p>
<p>The longer the hug lasted, the more relaxed Seven felt. Even so much that she sighed softly, her head turned, and her lips lightly touched Kathryn's neck. Seven immediately tore herself out of Kathryn's hug and looked at her in dismay. But there was no annoyance or displeasure in Kathryn's face. Kathryn looked at her more with a look that she had seen from Kai's memory.</p>
<p>Seven carefully leaned closer and closed her eyes just before her lips lay on Kathryn's lips. When her lips met Kathryn's lips, Kathryn pulled her closer into the embrace and her lips opened slightly.</p>
<p>Kathryn's tongue came out and gently slid over Seven's lower lip. Seven groaned softly as the kiss deepened and her whole body started to vibrate.<br/>
Both women kissed for many long moments until they broke apart and looked at each other with shiny eyes.</p>
<p>"I was in love with you back then, but I didn't know you were." Seven said quietly and looked shyly at Kathryn.</p>
<p>"Oh" was the only thing Kathryn got out. But then she beamed lovingly at Seven and pulled her back into her arms. This time, Seven's head was on Kathryn's shoulder.</p>
<p>"I think the kiss was just a little hint that we are still in love with each other." said Kathryn, but it also sounded like a little question as she gently stroked Seven's cheek.</p>
<p>Seven nodded her head. "Yes" she said softly, lifting her head and kissing Kathryn tenderly on the cheek. "I'm in love with you."</p>
<p>"And I'm in love with you." Kathryn replied, hugging Seven more tightly.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>****************************</p>
</div>Both hugged each other tightly for a while, until suddenly a rumble of Kathryn's belly disturbed them both from the silence.<p>Seven immediately broke away from Kathryn and looked at her questioningly.</p>
<p>"My stomach probably decided he was hungry." Kathryn replied, winking at Seven as she crawled out of bed. Then she held out her hand to Seven.</p>
<p>"Come on, let's replicate something for dinner." Kathryn said and Seven nodded to her and took Kathryn's hand in hers.</p>
<p>"I could cook something too." Seven offered and Kathryn looked at her brightly.</p>
<p>"I would like that. There's a padd somewhere in one of the boxes with your favorite recipes. Let's quickly search for it and then we can start. By the way, it's nice to see you in your favorite sweater again.” Kathryn mentioned, who went over to the boxes and read the label on the side, looking for the books and padds.</p>
<p>Seven looked down at herself and then back at Kathryn.</p>
<p>"That was my favorite sweater, why?" She asked softly and Kathryn turned back to her.</p>
<p>"Yes, Kai made it for you. From the first step to the last step. Do you see here ...” Kathryn took a corner of Seven Pullover in her hand and pointed to the mesh. "... she knitted it for you. It was the first sweater she made. Then I got one. Mine is green. Kai wanted him to show off my reddish hair.” Kathryn said as she turned around and continued to search the boxes for the right box.</p>
<p>"Ah, she's down here. Could you please help me, then it'll be quicker.” Kathryn explained and grabbed the first box that was on top and then handed it over to Seven. After doing this at least 5 times, Kathryn had finally cleared the box she wanted to get to. She quickly opened it and rummaged between the individual padds and books until she finally found Seven's cookbook.</p>
<p>"Here it is." she replied brightly and handed the book to Seven.</p>
<p>Seven looked at it curiously and then opened it. Amazed that the recipes were written in Borg script, they flipped through the individual pages.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Kathryn had sat down on a stool by the kitchen island and was looking at Seven from there. She still couldn't quite believe what had happened between the two of them earlier.</p>
<p>It was a little crazy, they kissed and then confessed that they were still in love with each other. But would it stay that way if Seven got her memories of Kai back or would it end faster than Kathryn liked?</p>
<p>Seven looked up from her cookbook, almost as if she had read Kathryn's mind. She frowned a little and looked at Kathryn with concern. Kathryn looked at her with concern as well.</p>
<p>"Darling?" She asked about it.</p>
<p>"This is not a cookbook, but a diary." replied Seven, looking down at the individual pages again.</p>
<p>Kathryn came back to her and also looked down at the book.</p>
<p>"Kai and I, we always thought it was your cookbook because you always wrote it so assiduous while you were cooking or after." Kathryn replied and shrugged her shoulders.</p>
<p>"No, it looks like I started the diary just before Kai came to us after you told me that you had one as a teenager." said Seven.</p>
<p>"Right, I remember. We both talked about how sometimes you can put your mind in order if you don't, how you have a cortical knot and the regeneration creates order.” said Kathryn, smiling at Seven.</p>
<p>"It's nice that you tried it with the diary. Maybe it's a good way to deal with the current situation without it becoming too much for you." said Kathryn and put her hand on Seven's arm.</p>
<p>"How do you mean? Please explain it!"</p>
<p>"Oh I mean, maybe we don't have to get your memories of Kai's time out of your cortical nodes so you can face grief, but that maybe just reading your diary is enough." said Kathryn and Seven nodded to her thoughtful too.</p>
<p>"Acceptable." Seven said a little stiffly, and fidgeted a little uneasily from one leg to the other leg. Kathryn frowned.</p>
<p>"Darling, I know you don't want all of this and you afraid of it. But I think it would be really good for you to face your memories one way or another.” said Kathryn gently, putting her arm around Seven's shoulder and pressing her lightly against her.</p>
<p>Seven sighed heavily and nodded her head resignedly.</p>
<p>At that very moment Kathryn's stomach came back with a growl and reminded both of them that they wanted to cook something to eat.<br/>
Kathryn looked at Seven sheepishly and Seven bowed her head a little.</p>
<p>"Can we leave the quarters, I'd like to go?" Seven asked a little uneasily.</p>
<p>She didn't know where the discomfort came from, but it was clearly there.</p>
<p>"Yes, surely we can go." replied Kathryn and left the quarters with Seven, her hand on Seven's lower back.</p>
<p>Seven gratefully leaned against Kathryn while walking.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>****************************</p>
</div>While Kathryn had stepped up to the replicator and entered the codes for a simple menu, Seven had sat down on the couch. She held her diary against her chest as she looked thoughtfully out of the window at the passing stars.<p>She was all the more surprised when Kathryn suddenly sat down with her and held out a plate of food.</p>
<p>"Thank you." Seven whispered softly and put her diary aside.</p>
<p>Both ate their food silently. Seven continued to look out of the window, lost in thought, while Kathryn looked at her thoughtfully. After Kathryn finished eating, she put her plate on the coffee table and moved closer to Seven.</p>
<p>"Darling?" She asked then. Seven looked at her in astonishment, as if she had completely forgotten that Kathryn was with her.</p>
<p>“I want to get back to work tonight. Would it be possible to continue this in the machine room?” Asked Seven, surprising Kathryn with her request.</p>
<p>"Darling I think we should go to the doctor first so he can examine you again and then release you to work again. But let's do it tomorrow, okay?” Kathryn asked, but she quickly noticed how Seven stiffened.</p>
<p>"I ... I can't ... go to the sick ... infirmary." Seven stuttered and turned pale.</p>
<p>"The Doctor can come over here and check on you and set you free for duty again." Kathryn replied quickly, rubbing her hand soothingly over Seven's back.</p>
<p>Seven tension eased a little and she nodded her head slightly.</p>
<p>"Good." Kathryn said happily, but immediately had to suppress a yawn.</p>
<p>Seven frowned at her.</p>
<p>Kathryn got up from the couch and held out her hand to Seven.</p>
<p>"I'm tired, will you come with me to bed, we could  cuddle a little?" Kathryn asked shyly, but Seven nodded her head willingly.</p>
<p>"Fine, then come."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kathryn woke up in the middle of the night and sat up in a hurry. After knowing where she was, she looked around her bedroom. Confused by what she didn't see, it took a moment for her to realize what was missing. Seven was no longer in bed next to her.</p>
<p>Kathryn had fallen asleep with Seven a few hours ago and for a very long time, she had finally felt so safe and secure that sleep was coming very quickly and had drawn her into a deep dreamless sleep.</p>
<p>But the emptiness next to her, in her bed, now worried her. Where had Seven gone? Had she gone to work against her order? Would Seven do that? Yes, it would be possible. Was it in her head.</p>
<p>"Computer where is Seven of Nine located?" She asked immediately.</p>
<p>"Seven of Nine is in her quarters." the computer answered emotionlessly.</p>
<p>Kathryn frowned. She hadn't thought Seven would go back alone to Kai's and hers quarters. She had felt too much discomfort for that in the early evening when they were both there. So what was Seven doing there alone?</p>
<p>"Computer is regenerating Seven of Nine?" Kathryn asked, because that was the only logical explanation for her.</p>
<p>"No" the computer answered and Kathryn looked out of the window, irritated.</p>
<p>"Computer sleeps Seven of Nine?" She asked further.</p>
<p>"No" came the prompt answer.</p>
<p>In the meantime Kathryn was so worried that she quickly slipped out of bed and put on her dressing gown. She hurriedly left her bedroom and quarters and headed for Seven's quarters. The door opened immediately after entering the door code.</p>
<p>What she found made her flinch in alarm.</p>
<p>"Seven, what on earth are you doing?" She screamed in fear and hurried to Seven, who was sitting at the desk, her right arm full of blood lying on the table top and poking around in the wound with her left hand and one of her exoskeleton fingers.</p>
<p>Seven looked up briefly, frowned and looked at Kathryn in surprise.</p>
<p>"Captain, I'm fine, please, wait a minute." she asked, her finger circling through the blood in her biological arm and poking around.</p>
<p>Kathryn looked at her in amazement.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?" She asked in a rough voice in captain mode.</p>
<p>"Just a moment, please." Seven asked again and immediately seemed to concentrate on the task she was doing.</p>
<p>Kathryn tapped her chest immediately, but since she was only wearing her dressing gown, she had of course forgotten to put her communicator on. She groaned in frustration.</p>
<p>"Computer notify the doctor to go straight to Seven's quarters." Kathryn ordered the computer. The doctor materialized a few seconds later.</p>
<p>"Please call ... oh, my god Seven, what are you doing?" Asked the doctor, horrified, after surveying the situation.</p>
<p>"Wait a minute!" Seven asked once more and Kathryn and the doctor stuff amazed her.</p>
<p>"Captain, what's going on here?" Asked the doctor worriedly, but Kathryn shook her head.</p>
<p>"I don't know." she replied, frustrated and worried at once.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Seven had put a second finger in her bleeding wound and was pulling something out. No sooner had she pulled out the small object, which looked just a few millimeters in size and was flat like a chip, when she took a closer look at it.</p>
<p>Kathryn and the doctor looked at her in astonishment.</p>
<p>"What's that?" Kathryn asked curiously, leaning forward to see the small object more closely.</p>
<p>Before answering, however, Seven placed the small object on the table top and aimed it with a phaser that had been lying on the table next to her. The small object disappeared immediately after being pulverized.</p>
<p>Seven's face went blank and she turned her attention inward.</p>
<p>The doctor quickly went up to her and took out his tricoder and examined the bleeding wound that had been repaired by Seven's nano-probes. To speed up the healing process, the doctor took a skin generator out of his doctor's pocket and went over the open bleeding wound several times until Seven's skin had closed properly and no longer remembered that it was open and bleeding seconds before.</p>
<p>Kathryn had looked at Seven worriedly. She knew the look on Seven's face when she went inside and looked for information in her cortical nodes. That is why she also knew that as long as Seven was in this state, she would not get an answer to her question at the moment. So she turned to the doctor.</p>
<p>"Thank you for coming so quickly. I don't know what's going on myself. But as soon as Seven is available again, I will find out. I think I can do it alone. Dismissed.” She said in captain mode and she could see exactly how the doctor wanted to start the protest, but luckily changed his mind. Then he nodded his head and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared a few minutes ago.</p>
<p>Kathryn turned back to Seven, who still had a fixed expression on her face. Kathryn sighed deeply and looked impatiently at Seven.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was only after half an eternity that Seven's focused gaze changed again. Seven turned to her and looked at her with a smile.</p>
<p>"Kathryn" she said softly and came up to her. Kathryn immediately pulled Seven into her arms and Seven dropped against her exhausted. They stood there for a long moment until Kathryn turned a little out of her embrace and looked at Seven with concern.</p>
<p>"Please explain to me what you have just done and what it all means!" Kathryn demanded gently but decisively.</p>
<p>"Can we sit down? Then I can explain it better to you, I feel a little drained.“ Seven confessed and Kathryn carefully led her to the couch. As soon as Seven was seated, Kathryn went to replication and ordered tea for Seven and for yourself a coffee. With the two drinks she sat next to Seven.</p>
<p>After taking a sip, Seven put the tea glass down on the table and leaned back. Kathryn took her hand and stroked it gently to encourage Seven to start her report.</p>
<p>"While you were sleeping, I got my diary and started reading it. I started the diary shortly after our visit to the planet, where you gave me the little plush turtle. I tried to write down the thoughts and feelings I felt towards you in order to understand them better. I've written a lot about it and thought about it. But then my diary entries changed. Suddenly I no longer wrote about you, but about Kai. It was a very clear cut, practically from one moment to the next. And I found that illogical. So I kept reading and whatever I wrote from then on didn't feel like I was writing it. It felt wrong to me. But then I came across a place that sounded like me again. I was amazed at this entry, why I was with Kai and consider what had happened in the meantime. But it was only a short, but also very oddly neutral entry. The next entry was the same as the others before. I read on and found some other entries that sounded like me but were soon replaced by the other entries that didn't sound like me. That irritated me. So I went here and was looking for something that would help me understand all of this better. I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, but I carefully examined most of the quays and my things until I found it.” Seven took a data pad from her fanny pack, from her sweater, and briefly fumbled with it until she found a small one Data disc in hand.</p>
<p>"What's that?" Kathryn asked right away and Seven pushed the data disc back into the data padd.</p>
<p>"That's the truth about Kai." Seven replied, picking up her tea glass and taking a sip while Kathryn looked at her questioningly.</p>
<p>"The truth about Kai? What exactly do you mean, please explain it to me!” Kathryn demanded and pulled her dressing gown tighter around her because she suddenly became very cold.</p>
<p>"Kai had planned everything. It was no accident that her spaceship broke and exploded just as Voyager came to her aid. She had heard about us and also about me, the former Borg woman. She had heard how helpful the Voyager crew and her captain were and she took advantage of that." Seven replied contemptuously and Kathryn got sick. Kai had been a very important person for her all the time, they had quickly become friends and she had entrusted herself to Kai very often, both with the problems of the ship and with her private problems.</p>
<p>"But why?" She asked in a rough, hoarse voice.</p>
<p>“Their plan was to go to Voyager, to gain the trust of you and the Voyager crew. To make me fall in love with her and then leave Voyager with her, with the intent to later disassemble and sell or use my Borg technology to make weapons. The only thing that made her plan difficult was the fact that I was already in love with you and was therefore not interested in her. So she had to change her plan a little and it all took longer." Seven explained angrily.</p>
<p>"What was that thing in your arm, what was it for?" Asked Kathryn.</p>
<p>"Kai invited me to dinner, in the course of the evening she must have realized that my heart was already yours and that I was not interested in her. According to the information on the data disc, she then gave me a special blend of tea, which made me pass out. During this time, she implanted the data chip in my arm. The data chip contained various instructions and suggestions that should make me fall in love with her, never to doubt that I was in love with her and never question what she was doing, how she was acting or how she was behaving. With the different information that was loaded into my neural system, she achieved that. There were only a few dropouts, which then ensured that I came back to myself and then made the diary entries that sounded like myself again. Kai described in her notes how she then made me unconscious again with this tea, removed the data chip, replaced it with another one and everything started again. There are a lot of unsightly comments in her notes about the stupidity of the Voyager crew and also about you and me. She despised us all and we weren't the first to manipulate and betray her in this way. She had done it all her life and always got what she wanted and thus harmed and tricked many individuals. However, we were the last to whom this happened.” Seven explained matter-of-factly.</p>
<p>Kathryn listened horrified and dismayed all the time and had to swallow hard several times.</p>
<p>"Go on!" said Kathryn.</p>
<p>“The data chip ensured that my feelings for her remained constant and when she died in the accident, they were sent on. I think that caused the irrational behavior in me, which then led you to move my memories of Kai and the time with her from my conscious memory into a file so that I no longer suffered from it. But the data chip was active all the time and has continued to send, he has caused the memory prints and tormented me with it. So I removed the data chip earlier and immediately destroyed it, for fear that it would still have an influence on me outside of my body.” Seven confessed and looked at Kathryn for the first time since she started her report.</p>
<p>Kathryn was sitting next to her and had turned pale while listening to the report. She quickly released her hand from Seven's hand and buried her face in her hands and slumped exhausted, drained and humiliated.</p>
<p>Seven didn't know what to do, so she sat motionless and looked at Kathryn worriedly, when Kathryn started to cry in her hands, she was seriously worried about her.</p>
<p>"Kathryn?" She asked carefully and Kathryn took her hands off her face and looked at Seven with a blurred face.</p>
<p>"Oh my god, darling. I was so dumb. At the time I was wondering why you two had come together so quickly, but I hadn't asked any further. I accepted it and even voluntarily stepped aside so I wouldn't stand in the way of your happiness. I thought I was just imagining everything, that there was something between the two of us. And even if there was something between us, I should never have investigated as a captain. So I was happy for you that you found Kai, who loves you and who you love, and that you two were so happy together. That I just didn't think about how strange everything was. I was completely wrong and put you and the crew at risk. Oh darling, please forgive me.” Kathryn asked and started crying again.</p>
<p>Seven pulled Kathryn into her arms and gently stroked her back.</p>
<p>"You couldn't know it and nobody else knew it. Kai was good at pretending that she was the nice woman who took care of everything, was interested in everything and only wanted the best for everyone. There is nothing I have to forgive.” Seven replied and hugged Kathryn tightly to himself.</p>
<p>"But I ..." Seven cut off Kathryn. "No. It's past!” Replied Seven, hoping that Kathryn would not be overwhelmed by the events, then and now, as she often did.</p>
<p>"Why did the doctor never find the data chip in your health check?" Asked Kathryn after she had thought about it for a while and her tears had now dried.</p>
<p>"I think that the doctor's tricoder identified the data chip as one of my implants and therefore was not displayed as a foreign body in my body." Seven explained logically and Kathryn had to agree.</p>
<p>"Yes, I'm sure you are right. How are you?” She asked worriedly and looked at Seven gently.</p>
<p>"Now that I have found out everything and also know where the memory prints actually came from and you are in my arms, I am doing very well." Seven replied and snuggled up to Kathryn, who pulled Seven tightly in her arms and she hugged her lovingly.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***************************</p>
</div>Some time later, the two went back to Kathryn's quarters and snuggled together in bed. Both were completely exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately.
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, after Seven and Kathryn had breakfast and got ready for work, Kathryn called up their management officers to a meeting while Seven had returned to their former quarters and wanted to walk through the boxes to see what they were having wanted to keep from it and what not.</p>
<p>Kathryn entered the conference room in a hurry and was glad that all of her management officers were present and she could start right away. Since she didn't want to drag it out, she wanted to go back to Seven as soon as possible to help her.</p>
<p>"Good morning, I'm glad that everyone is present. You have probably noticed that Seven has been doing badly in the past few days and there was a certain reason that I would like to tell you, as it affects us all in a way. Seven has had memories of Kai over and over again in the last few days, since we have moved her memory of Kai into a sealed file in her cortical node, she did not know what these memories were and that frightened and tormented her a lot. However, things or the situation have changed even more since last night and we have to talk about it and decide how we will or should deal with this situation.” Kathryn and her management officers looked at her with interest but also irritation.</p>
<p>"Captain?" Chakotay asked. "What exactly happened and what is the situation?"</p>
<p>Kathryn sighed and sat in her chair and looked closely at her management officers before answering.</p>
<p>“Seven found her diary in one of the boxes in her former quarters. I encouraged her to read it in the hope that she would face her grief for Kai. Now that she has read it, she has encountered Contradictions, which she then investigated on her own. She found this data chip.” Kathryn held up the small data chip so that everyone could see it. Then they already put it in a data pad and handed it to Chakotay.</p>
<p>"This data chip belonged to Kai and she described in detail what her plans were regarding the Voyager crew." Kathryn replied and everyone looked at her in amazement.</p>
<p>"Captain, what do you mean exactly?" Asked Tom after Kathryn paused for a moment.</p>
<p>"What I mean by this is that Kai used us all for their purposes and particularly hurt Seven. Not surprisingly, she came across Voyager and was in need, it was pure intent that she met us. She had planned everything very carefully and she had followed an evil plan. But to make it short ... "</p>
<p>"Captain, what was her bad plan?" interrupted Harry, who was trying to understand the whole situation. He couldn't imagine Kai being friendly and a mother figure to anyone during the months she was on Voyager, who could have ever thought or done anything bad or wicked. That had to be a misunderstanding.</p>
<p>Kathryn sighed deeply and then answered.</p>
<p>"Now it was their plan to nest here, to befriend everyone who was important to their plan and then to take Seven away in the end without us having anything against it, because they were so in love with each other. But then Kai would have killed her, taken her apart and sold her Borg technology.” Kathryn replied contemptuously and all the management officers looked at her in amazement and disbelief.</p>
<p>"Captain, that's pretty unbelievable, are you sure?" Chakotay asked her and Kathryn nodded her head slowly.</p>
<p>"I know that's very unbelievable, but I read Kai's file and I saw Seven get a data chip out of her forearm last night that suggested to her all the time that she was falling in love with Kai should be. I compared it with the data on Kai's data chip and it says in detail how she passed out Seven with a tea mixture and implanted the data chip in Seven's forearm. She even had to repeat this process several times because the data chip failed several times and had to be replaced. So I am absolutely certain that Kai was up to evil. And yes, I was very good friends with her and I entrusted her with a lot of personal and a lot of ship business. I trusted her and I still can't believe that she wasn't the one, she's been pretending to be. I was completely overwhelmed by this information myself. But there is no question that there is this data chip, in which Kai wrote down her plan and carried it out step by step. There is no doubt. There are even other individuals who she have used and exploited them. She described everything here. She has held it this way all her life.” Kathryn said and felt tired and exhausted.</p>
<p>Everyone looked at their captain in silence because everyone who was sitting at the conference table had trusted Kai and could not imagine that all of this was only played to get what she wanted. Everyone had got exactly what they needed from Kai. Harry had needed a motherly figure to take care of him a little, Tuvok had done some meditation exercises with Kai and had been able to philosophize about it, Chakotay had more or less cried out at Kai, because Kathryn was not saw a man in him, but only a commander and as a friend. Neelix had received many great cooking recipes from Kai and had cooked and exchanged ideas with her many times. Only B'Elanna had stayed away from Kai because of her friendliness. But for that she had made friends with Seven, who had become more sociable, relaxed and open through Kai.</p>
<p>"How's Seven?" Asked B'Elanna, since Seven was more important to her than the new information about Kai, which somehow didn't really surprise her. But she didn't want to think about that now.</p>
<p>"Oh, Seven is fine. Now that she knows that the memory prints have tormented her and based on what she found out about Kai, she wants to close the matter quickly and get back on the agenda. She is not yet aware that this will not be so easy. But at the moment she is going through the boxes in her former quarters and looking for things that she wants to keep. I will help her right away, but I wanted to talk to all of you about this new situation beforehand and decide whether the rest of the crew should also be informed about the new situation? There are many crew members that Kai liked very much and also mourn for them. May we rob them of the good memories to tell them that Kai was not what she pretended to be?” Asked Kathryn and everyone looked at each other, perplexed and perplexed.</p>
<p>"Well, I think it is better if each of you thinks about it and we meet again tomorrow at the same time and then decide how we want to deal with the new situation. Chakotay you have the bridge, if something is, get in touch. I will be at Seven. Doctor please come to Seven's former quarters afterwards, Seven would like to be released for work again. Dismissed.“ Said Kathryn and got up from her chair.</p>
<p>While Kathryn was almost out of the conference room, she caught up with B'Elanna and held her arm lightly.</p>
<p>"Captain, please wait a moment." B'Elanna asked and let go of Kathryn's arm. Kathryn nodded at her to encourage her to continue.</p>
<p>"I would like to help Seven go through the boxes and things as soon as my service ends." said B'Elanna. Kathryn thought about it for a moment and then smiled at B'Elanna.</p>
<p>"It's a good idea, I'll ask Seven how she thinks about it and I'll let you know. Accompany me a bit. I'm curious, how do you see the new situation?” Asked Kathryn curiously while she went with B'Elanna to the turbolift.</p>
<p>"Hm ... I personally never had a lot to do with Kai, she always seemed too friendly to me and that was a bit suspicious to me. But Seven and I, we became really good friends, I kind of miss that very much.” replied B'Elanna honestly and sadly. Kathryn nodded her head as they both got into the turbolift and instructed the computer to take them to Deck 3.</p>
<p>"Yes, I was so sorry that you could no longer be friends after we moved Seven's memories of Kai into a locked file. But I am hoping that you can become friends again now that Seven knows what happened back then.” said Kathryn.</p>
<p>"How are about you two?" B'Elanna asked a little too shyly for a half-Klingon, but instead of getting a disapproving look from her captain, she got a big smile.</p>
<p>"Seven and I had an interesting conversation yesterday. It may have brought us a lot further than before and now, we have to see where it takes us.” Kathryn replied mystically, but B'Elanna grinned broadly at her.</p>
<p>"By Kahles, I would be so happy for you to come together. I mean, before Kai came here, it almost looked like there was an endless crackling between the two of you. So I was surprised that Seven fell in love with Kai, but I didn't ask any more. And later, when we were friends, there was somehow no doubt that she and Kai were so in love with each other. If I had known that this was not true, I would have done something.” said B'Elanna in a growl.</p>
<p>“Yes, I was also very surprised at the time, but I didn't ask any further. If I had, maybe none of this would have happened and Kai would have been exposed earlier.”</p>
<p>Kathryn replied before pushing shyly after. "Was it so obvious that I was in love with Seven at the time?"</p>
<p>B'Elanna grinned broadly at Kathryn.</p>
<p>"For a good observer like me, it was very obvious and it wasn't just you who reveal yourself up more than you could count. No, Seven also had a share in the fact that I had suspected more.” B´Elanna said as the turbolift door opened. Before Kathryn got out, she put her hand on B'Elanna's arm.</p>
<p>"Thank you for the conversation, we'll see you later," said Kathryn, taking a hasty step out of the turbolift and heading for Seven's former quarters.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Darling?" Kathryn asked when she entered Seven's former quarters and didn't see her right away.</p>
<p>"Here." she called from where she was.</p>
<p>Kathryn stepped between the piles of boxes, which were piled up all over the living area, until she found Seven, who was sitting on the floor holding a paper.</p>
<p>"What have you got there?" Kathryn asked, kneeling down to Seven and blowing a kiss on her forehead, which Seven acknowledged with a smile.</p>
<p>"A picture of Naomi. I just found it. She had painted it for me when my cortical node was about to fail. Do you remember that?” Asked Seven, looking at the picture further. It showed Voyager flying through a fog.</p>
<p>"Yes, I remember at that time. I was so terrified of losing you that I could hardly think of anything else other than how I could save you. I was even willing to kill another living Borg because of this so that you could get a new cortical knot. Fortunately, the doctor convinced me that this was an unacceptable procedure and we found another solution.“ Kathryn replied and looked at Seven with a smile.</p>
<p>"I was also very scared to die without ever having the opportunity to do this." Seven rose a little from her seated position and pulled Kathryn into her arms.</p>
<p>Seven full red lips gently lay on Kathryn's lips and melted into a kiss.</p>
<p>Kathryn hurriedly put her hands on Seven's slim hip and pulled her towards her, never letting the kiss break off. Seven groaned softly when her upper body met Kathryn's upper body and she could hear both of her wild heartbeats. The kiss deepened as Kathryn's hands danced over Seven's back and touched her tenderly.</p>
<p>Seven had put her right hand behind Kathryn's neck to keep her head close to her. Her left hand lay flat on Kathryn's left breast. Her sensory data gave her just enough data about her Borg hand that made her dizzy as her tongue connected to Kathryn's tongue and danced together in Seven's mouth. The outside world ceased to exist for the two of them, only their tightly pressed bodies, their wildly pounding hearts, full of love and passion, their lips and tongues that connected again and again, stroking and circling each other, were all that counted at the moment.</p>
<p>After several minutes, Kathryn freed herself from Seven with a ragged breath and looked at her with dark, glassy eyes. After breathing again, she grinned broadly at Seven. Seven returned the look with a broad smile.</p>
<p>"How stupid I was back then and didn't admit that I was in love with you. I thought being the captain of Voyager was the most important thing, but honestly? I was wrong.” Kathryn said wistfully and Seven nodded her head.</p>
<p>"Yes, that was it." Seven admitted quietly. "And I was too scared to admit it to you, assuming that I had misinterpreted the signs or that you could reject me. So I was just as stupid. What's next?” She asked shyly.</p>
<p>"Well, the doctor will drop by here later, examine you, and free you up for duty again. We have to see what you can do with your memories. Get out or leave where they are?” Kathryn asked, leaning against the crates behind her while Seven thought about it.</p>
<p>"I think that since Kai only pretended that she fell in love with me and everything was not real, the memories of it have become insignificant. I would like to erase these memories!” Seven said decisively. But Kathryn shook her head and raised her finger.</p>
<p>"You forget that there were also a lot of moments during this time that were not lying or wrong. Take, for example, your friendship with B´Elanna. Oh, it occurs to me that B´Elanna would like to come over after her duty and help us here with the mucking out. What do you think about it?” Asked Kathryn.</p>
<p>"I didn't know I was friends with B'Elanna. How did that happen?” Asked Seven in surprise and also leaned against the crates behind her as she put Naomi's picture down.</p>
<p>"Oh, you were so much more relaxed at the time, so you both understood each other much better at work. And then you also spent some time together in your off-duty time.” Kathryn said and Seven listened quietly.</p>
<p>"But now I'm like I was at the beginning, how should a new friendship work?" asked Seven. But Kathryn shook her head and smiled knowingly at Seven.</p>
<p>"Now B'Elanna knows that you are not the cool ExBorg, she knows that you can be warm, humorous and relaxed. She has missed you very much the past few months and would love to be with you again. Can I tell her that she can come over later?” Asked Kathryn and Seven thought about it for a moment.</p>
<p>"Acceptable!" She said a little too stiffly, but then smiled softly at Kathryn, but shortly afterwards her facial expressions darkened a little and her forehead started to frown.</p>
<p>"What's bothering you darling?" Kathryn asked worried.</p>
<p>"I wonder how it will go on from here with me? I don't want to go back to Cargo Bay 2. But where should I go?” Seven asked softly and bit her lower lip uncertainly.</p>
<p>Kathryn pulled her into her arms and hugged her.</p>
<p>"You could live here in this quarter. And maybe move in with me later. So only if you like.“ Said Kathryn and looked shyly at Seven.</p>
<p>"I would like that." replied Seven, snuggling up to Kathryn. "Are we taking this slowly?"</p>
<p>"Yes, definitely. First I will ask you for a date.“ Kathryn replied with a smile. "I hope you accept my invitation. You take it, don't you?” Kathryn asked and Seven smiled broadly at her, considering that Kathryn suddenly seemed so insecure when she had survived and survived so many dangers in the Delta Quadrant.</p>
<p>"I'll comply." Seven replied, winking at Kathryn.</p>
<p>"Oh, that would make me very happy darling." replied Kathryn, hugging Seven tightly.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>****************************</p>
</div>While Kathryn held Seven firmly in her breath and both sat quietly in the quarters, surrounded by the many boxes that had to be looked through and mucked out, Seven searched her cortical node and looked for the hidden file. After a few quiet moments, she found it in her creative center. Hiding the memories there had been a pretty good idea since she was never creatively active on her own.<p>Once she found the file, she deleted it without hesitation. What was then was all false and lied. Seven didn't want this memories anymore. Her time with Kathryn was so much nicer and she didn't want to contaminate or overshadow anything.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>****************************</p>
</div>"I love you and I'm looking forward to our first date." Seven explained after she was sure that everything had been removed from her cortical nodes, which had to do with Kai and her time together with her.<p>Kathryn looked at her lovingly.</p>
<p>"I love you too." she said happily and in love.</p>
<p>The End</p>
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